Group Is Helping People Hear The World

One group is helping people in eastern Kentucky hear the world. The free service is changing the lives of many people here in the mountains.

The "Hear the World" initiative visited Clay County, fitting dozens of people for new hearing aids.

Executive director Cathy Jones says, "Hearing loss is a major problem in the world, it affects communication, it affects your income level, it affects your relationship with your family."

Many people are walking away with hearing aids for the first time, and they are completely free.

Ronnie Holland just got hearing aids for the first time and says, "I could hear pretty good, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from."

Taylor Roark says, "I could hear, but not as good as i can hear now."

Dr. Rita Chailen with Hear the World says, "We're helping people who already know their hearing loss, we've helped identify hearing loss in people, and we're helping them move forward with their lives."

Taylor Roark says he could not afford hearing aids on his own. "No, I probably would not have gotten them."

Hear the World officials say hearing care is limited in eastern Kentucky.

"Economically, geographically, it was a place where others haven't come to bring health care, and we could help the people here who needed it and wanted it," says Dr. Chaiken.

Ronnie Holland says he has big plans for his improved hearing, "Go hunting!"

But Hear the World staff members warned Holland to remove his new hearing aids before pulling the trigger. Hear the World officials say they will to return to the Red Bird Mission as long there is a need in the community.

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